Conspiracy Theories: America’s New Pastime

I would like to begin this commentary with a confession. I, Fredrick J. Batiste, am addicted to conspiracy theories.
The funny thing about that confession is that I am not the only conspiracy theory addict around.
There may be more fans of conspiracy theories out there than you think, and they’re not just the nutcases hiding in a bomb shelter living off of Tang, saltine crackers, and vienna sausages.
Even the most straight-laced, conservative person you know could believe in a conspiracy theory and attempt to give you proof behind it.
Conspiracy theories abound in our collective conscience, like it or not.
I’ve heard or read about conspiracies concerning almost every aspect of American society. Some may be really out there while other theories make you think twice.
There are people out there that often wonder who really shot Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and even J.R. Ewing.
There are some out there that ponder if Tupac Shakur and Elvis Presley are running around somewhere pumping gas in the Midwest.
Some people think that whenever a game is played at Giants Stadium, the players may be trampling over Jimmy Hoffa’s remains.
Some conspiracy theories implicate the federal government and its role in certain things. There are folks out there that believe that the government created the HIV virus back in the 1950s.
Some of us believe that “Area 51” exists and the government uses that as a Club Med/Camp X-Ray for alien life forms.
If you ask certain people out there, they might tell you that entities within the government laid the groundwork for the Sept. 11 attacks so they can get more funding out of Congress.
Besides those theories about different events, there are theories about those who really make the decisions in the world.
Groups such as the Trilateral Commission and the Illuminati are said to be those who control everything from presidential elections to Super Bowl outcomes (I think the Rams were on the take this year, don’t you?).
Such benign issues such as Grammy and Oscar winners are also believed to fall under the control of those groups (like they were really going to give Outkast the Grammy for best album).
In essence, all of us have an innate curiosity when it comes to how the world works. We’ve grown to develop, and later love listening to theories that explain all the phenomena that occur in our world.
In short, we all love a good conspiracy theory. I guess that’s the reason why we glance at the tabloids in the checkout aisle in the local supermarket.